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Ijotheios al Talavara
Summary The Ijotheios al Talavara, "the Holy Sons of the Sword." Talavarans are a feudal society ruled by a sentient, magical sword. The Talavarans appear to be ruled by a human king: a king nominated by the aristocracy. In truth, every king is possessed by the spirit within the sword, the "Ilahsayf." The sword and its powers are never spoken of. But its influence extends through the generations. Everyone who has touched the sword, potentially passes down an enchantment to their desce Few even within the society know of the sword at all. Even fewer know its agenda. All that is known is that the Talavarans continue to expand their borders, and bend their new subjects to the will of the sword. History Founding The first Talavarans were descended from Cete refugees and human slaves of the Kinnari (possibly related to the Cenote and Ildiad peoples). They lived a hardscrabble life on the northern shores, fishing in the Ocea Natala and hunting in the Bleakwoods. Always in fear of the wilding elves and woed giants, the Talavarans were perpetually on the move. The Blessed Discovery The Talavarans speak of their first king, a humble trapper, stumbling upon an ancient barrow. Abazak found treasure and weapons, enough to arm himself and his band. In particular, he found a heavy, wavy-bladed sword: a sword for a king. With his sword, Abazak drove out the giants and fey, and united the Talavaran tribes. Death and Descendents On his deathbed King Abazak declared, "Who may pry this Sword from my hands shall be the new king." 30 men tried and 30 men failed. The 31st man succeeded; and a new king was hailed. This led to the tradition of succession: 31 applicants; 30 nobles and 1 commoner. Modern Day The Talavarans are a prominent nation in the north. They have a large population compared to their neighbors, and a powerful army. With the power of the Sword, they are even more dangerous. Society Thrallmen The lowest rank of Talavaran society are the thrallmen. They are slaves captured in war, escaped peasants, and their descendants. Thrallmen are most often found in the main cities, doing the dirtiest, most dangerous work in factories. They have no connection to Talavaran society, and are unprotected by any law. Thrallmen may occasionally buy their way into peasantry. Peasantry The majority of Talavarans are peasants. They live in small farm villages dotting the countryside. The few towns are owned by noblemen. Those peasants who work in the towns own nothing--not even their tools. What they can do is pass on their trade to sons and daughters. Noblemen who own peasants' lands have responsibilities of keeping the peace and keeping the people fed. Nobility Only noblemen are allowed to call themselves "Ijotheios." There are as many as 100 noble lines, all of whom jockey for power to be among the 30 who can strive for the kingship. Each family line has a varying level of enchantment. Some are completely enslaved to the Sword. Others may be free of any of the Sword's influence. Nobles who trade with outsiders are always controlled by the Sword. Noblemen in backwater provinces are more likely to have free will. The King and his Court The final stratum of power is the king and his court. All members of the court are completely in thrall to the Sword's power--although none make this publicly known. The king and court operate much like any other monarchy, going so far as to include charades of palace intrigue. The key difference between other monarchies and the Talavarans' remains in succession. As the king is dying, he calls forth 30 nobles and one peasant, challenging them to take the Sword from his hands. The Sword has secretly pre-selected the new king. Upon taking the sword, the old king dies; and the new king is hailed. Trade and Industry The Talavarans live in a largely self-sufficient, and tightly controlled society. Most Talavarans depend entirely on a barter economy. Only townspeople and nobles use money with any regularity. Outsider coin is suspect in the Talavaran's eye. Faith and Magic Talavarans are allowed to pray only to their ancestors. Worship is run by a sect called the Faith-Templars. All Faith-Templars serve at the behest of the Sword. And all are said to be both mages and clerics. The most powerful of them are directly under control of the Sword. Outsider faiths and magic use are strictly forbidden on pain of imprisonment or death. Warfare Talavarans have carefully expanded their borders over the centuries. With a retinue of 500 knights and ten times as many foot soldiers, they have a formidable army. The Sword does not risk sending warriors too far away from its reach of power. They instead choose to feign retreat, drawing in enemies within the range of the Sword's magic. The Sword occasionally takes the mind of an enemy to sow discord, or force surrenders. Their navy is relatively weak, limited to skiffs and barges, and commercial caravels pressed into service. Talaveran captains never leave sight of the shore. Location The Ijotheios al Talavera is located on the northern coast of Leviatha. Estimated Numbers The Talavarans approximately 100,000 souls. The vast majority are of human descent. Fey races and dwarvenkind are considered threats; and are either imprisoned or exiled. Those of mixed ancestry make every effort to pass for human. The nobility are thought to be under direct sway of the King. The rest are peasant farmers who rarely venture from their villages. Known Towns Allies The Talavarans have few friends. Their only distant ally is the Baelena Dominae, with whom they occasionally trade goods and slaves. Foes The Cete consider the Talavarans to be cursed. Cete attack Talavaran ships if they leave sight of the coast. Other peoples in the region avoid the Talavarans at all costs--fearing becoming enslaved. Characters Comments "A strange folk; a bit too friendly sometimes." --Arametha of Abram, Ildiad trader "Invite all great men from other lands to treat with the King." --Words of the Sword; a series of Talaveran laws Category:Cultures